Tribes rally to demand water for Klamath salmon

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Members of three Northern California Indian tribes rallied outside a federal water agency office in Sacramento to demand more water be released from reservoirs to prevent the spread of a parasite among salmon returning to the Klamath River to spawn.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation says Regional Director David Murillo met for an hour Tuesday with members of the Hoopa Valley, Yurok and Karuk tribes.

There was no indication the bureau was changing its plans to hold off any water releases until significant numbers of salmon begin to die.

But Murillo said in a statement they are closely watching the situation and meeting with interested parties.

The Klamath Basin is in a severe drought, which has forced cuts in irrigation for farms, as well as river levels for fish.